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Thursday, February 19, 2015

The Great Purge continues!

It's been said before. Purging at first is difficult, but once done feels like a weight has been lifted. I am feeling that and it has only begun. So far I have six bags of fabric and some patterns going to a Mennonite family. They wear regular very modest clothing and they sew A LOT. There is more to go through, lots. Books have and will be donated to the library, so many books like Macrame and Doll books, and such. I would not give up my precious sewing books. The two rooms look like a tornado has gone through but I do have one area that is giving me peace. The pattern collection has been seriously culled and is down to this with room for new additons. Bye Bye big shoulders and dropped armscyes! Those details were an immediate toss.

And here, we have beads and buttons and bias. Those two little piles of fabrics are all that is left of any quilting cottons I owned and there was a good amount. These I kept for specific projects I had in mind. Two new babies coming in our extended family!

This is a walk through closet that has a doorway on each side. One side is my studio, the other side, all my storage: fabrics and books and such. So I at least have these two little spaces done and this weekend will attack more. But first I will deliver all that fabric! In the meantime, blogging and NLS will be on hold until there is order in my life. I only wish there were good weather so I could have a yard sale right away. There will be one......................Bunny

I've only just started. There is lots more to go through, There is a large china closet with tax papers from DH's former business that can now be tossed. We will burn those. There is a freezer full of doll patterns and more. I could go on but will just tackle it one day at a time. It will get done.

Oh Bunny, good for you. I love love love decluttering. It brings me such peace, as well as helping the recipients. If I may ask, do you have certain questions that you ask yourself when deciding on specific items? And not related, I did a couple of purges in my sewing room in the last year or so, and I'm trying to *not* regret the fabrics and notions I donated that I could be using now for my new sewing jag, American Girl doll clothes and accessories.

Sandra, I too love to declutter. If it's an item I think I can't part with, I ask myself WHY am I keeping this?...was it my great-grandma's or my grandma's or my mothers's?, if so then I DO keep it, but other stuff is pretty much materialistic "hanging-on" and I ask myself some self-analyzing questions again, then many times find a new home for it. I used to have a ridiculous penchant for keeping books and I have been working on purging in that area....(my kids get to decide on their childhood books of course!), but I do have books of my great-grandmother, and great-great grandfather, both of which I never met of course, and I would not part with these.

Each piece of fabric gets the following questions: Am I really ever going to sew this? and How easy and inexpensive would it be to replace it if need be? Like everyone, I save small pieces and often use them for bias bindings and such, but really, how much would it cost for a half yard of the perfect fabric to do that? So that's how I go through it. For books I ask myself how often I have used the book and I do use my sewing books a lot. But I have been given all sorts of craft books over the years and they will go. I use the library a lot so don't worry if I need a book to figure out some odd craft one day. I have tons of cookbooks that I no longer use, will keep one or two and there is a whole shelf full. My big dilemma is do I want to get rid of all my Threads magazines. I refer to them often, really. But the archive disc would be great to have instead. It's pricey but sometimes on sale so I think sooner or later I will do that. With moving it will be sooner. Thanks for asking, Sandra.

Bunny,I don't know if you're aware that once your purchase the Threads Archive disc you can get the annual updates for a nominal fee. I just got the latest one for $19.95. So, it's worth the initial investment.

I also am purging just because I finally realized I'm never going to use some of the fabric I've been keeping all these years, not on your scale though, and I need the room to store my ever growing self-dyed fabrics. A question to ask yourself when deciding to keep or toss is, "does this item give me joy?", it may help with the decision.Love your loom bag; there is nothing like a custom bag.

About Me

I am a passionate sewist who was taught heirloom hand sewing by Spanish nuns as a child. But my love of all things fiber has taken many turns since then. I have seriously sewn my entire life and can't imagine not doing so. I have tried other creative endeavors but now realize that designing and sewing clothing for myself and others is what I am meant to do. I pray this trip through my blog is one you will savor and return to. I've been proudly blogging since April of 2007.